HB 476 - Alabama Water Conservation and Security Act

• Creates the Alabama Water Conservation and Security Act to preserve water flows, establish conservation powers during droughts and water emergencies, and facilitate coordination between water quality and water allocation management.

• Requires the Water Resources Commission to declare water shortages or emergencies when available water falls substantially below normal quantities, with burden of proof on parties requesting hearings to challenge restrictions.

• Authorizes the Office of Water Resources to restrict certificate of use terms during shortages, provide conservation credits to users implementing conservation measures, restrict uncertified withdrawals, and allocate water among uses to alleviate emergencies.

• Establishes requirement to preserve environmental flows and levels in all water sources to protect biological, chemical, and physical integrity; shifts burden of proof to persons proposing water withdrawals to demonstrate proposed use will not impair protected environmental flows.

• Becomes effective on the first day of the third month following passage and approval by the Governor.